Board and rules
Pieces
18 terms18 terms
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Piece
Level: BeginnerA movable chess unit; in the official rules, the word also includes pawns.
King
Level: BeginnerThe piece that cannot be left under attack; if it is attacked and no permitted reply exists, the game ends.
Queen
Level: BeginnerA long-range piece that moves along ranks, files, and diagonals without jumping over other pieces.
Rook
Level: BeginnerA long-range piece that moves any number of squares along ranks or files.
Bishop
Level: BeginnerA long-range piece that moves diagonally and always remains on squares of one color.
Knight
Level: BeginnerA piece that jumps to a square two steps in one direction and one step perpendicular to it.
Pawn
Level: BeginnerA piece that advances toward the opponent, captures diagonally, and can transform on the farthest rank.
Minor piece
Level: BeginnerThe collective name for bishops and knights.
Major piece
Level: BeginnerThe collective name for rooks and queens.
Sliding piece
Level: IntermediateA bishop, rook, or queen that can travel any number of squares along an allowed clear line.
Light-squared bishop
Level: BeginnerA bishop that moves only among the board's thirty-two light squares.
Dark-squared bishop
Level: BeginnerA bishop that moves only among the board's thirty-two dark squares.
King's pawn
Level: BeginnerA pawn on the e-file, called the king's file because the king starts there.
Queen's pawn
Level: BeginnerA pawn on the d-file, called the queen's file because the queen starts there.
Bishop pawn
Level: BasicA pawn on a bishop file, meaning the c-file or the f-file.
Knight pawn
Level: BasicA pawn on a knight file, meaning the b-file or the g-file.
Rook pawn
Level: BasicA pawn on a rook file, meaning the a-file or h-file at the edge of the board.
Bare king
Level: BasicA situation in which one side has only its king left, with no pawns or other pieces.